Skelmersdale man attacked his ex like a ‘crazed animal’

Daniel Joyce spared jail after horrifying attack

A man subjected his ex-partner to a terrifying attack, during which he punched her repeatedly “like a crazed animal,” a court was told.

Daniel Joyce, 28, of Evington in Skelmersdale, left the woman – the mother of his child – with two fractures to her cheekbone and nose as well as severe bruising in a 4am attack earlier this year.

At Liverpool Crown Court on Friday, Joyce pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm and was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for a year and placed under supervision for 12 months with attendance on a relationship course.

The judge, Recorder Anthony Long, said: “It was a terrifying and ferocious attack.”

Joyce’s victim said that she does not “want him near her ever again” but she also said that she did not want Joyce, the father of her son, to go to jail.

Henry Riding, prosecuting, told the court that Joyce and his ex-partner had been separated for eight years.

On March 23 he started banging on the door of her home asking to be let in.

She realised he was very drunk and ignored him.

He then phoned her and she told him to go home but he again started kicking at the door.

She eventually opened it and he barged his way in and went from room to room demanding to know who else was there.

Mr Riding said: “When she attempted to manhandle him out of the premises, he pushed her onto the sofa and struck her repeatedly in the face with his fists about four or five times.”

She described him as “crazed” and the neighbours said he was behaving “like a crazed animal.”

Anthony Parkinson, defending, said that Joyce, who has a caution for battery on the same victim, had taken cocaine as well as alcohol that night.

He has behaved impeccably since and his job is still open to him.

He was also ordered to pay £1,000 compensation plus a £100 victim surcharge.